


The Texan Flair

by tacoma_vibes



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Married Couple, Pool Table Sex, Spoilers for Stars & Stripes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-15 11:27:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11805069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacoma_vibes/pseuds/tacoma_vibes
Summary: Ty and Zane decide to visit Zane's ranch in Texas. Shooting, chaos and a honky-tonk soiree ensues.





	1. Third Time's a Charm

 

 

 

 

 

Ty flipped through a page of the New York Times Bestseller thriller he was currently reading. He was perched on a stool behind the countertop of their bookstore on Ann Street, and he occasionally crouched down to pet the gray kitten Cricket who was contently wrapped around his ankles. He glanced up when he heard the antique glass door creak. A young woman with thick-rimmed glasses crossed the threshold of the store. Ty was pretty sure she had been to the store before, but her name evaded him. Their bookstore was often frequented by freshmen from nearby colleges like University of Maryland and by other frat kids. Ty believed that the quirky brick building and the plush interiors evoked a sense of old-world nostalgia in these kids, and also the free Wi-Fi didn’t hurt.

Ty greeted the girl with an easy smile. “Welcome to Brick and Mortar books, how may I help you?”

“Oh, I just need a journal for my assignment. I know where it is,” she replied with a wave of her hand towards the labyrinth of wooden shelves.

Zane emerged from the recess of the store where he was sorting out the new inventory. The girl nodded at him in greeting and tread across the ceramic floor to find her journal. Zane met Ty’s gaze, the corners of his mouth quirking up in a smile. He gave Ty a cheeky wink and turned around to re-arrange the books in the self-help section. Ty shook his head, smiling slightly and returned his attention to the book. The girl settled down in one of the cushion chairs near Ty’s countertop, a thick hardbound copy in her hand. Despite himself, Ty glanced up to leer at his husband. The dark blue Henley Zane wore accentuated his broad shoulders and impressive muscles. And the gray feathering at his temples that was slowly over time swirling in with the rest of his hair gave him a perpetual silver fox look. Ty wanted nothing more than to tackle him to the ground and lick him from head to toe.

“Does he know that you have a crush on him?” the girl asked quietly, breaking Ty from his reverie.

“God, I hope so. I mean, I married the guy,” Ty replied in mock indignation.

The girl blinked at him, surprised by the revelation. Ty gave her a jaunty grin and held up his hand to show her his wedding tattoo. Realization dawned as her eyes darted between Ty’s tattoo and a similar one etched across Zane’s finger, partly concealed from her field of view.

“You guys make a handsome couple,” she finally told Ty, smiling demurely.

Zane chuckled from where he stood, apparently having heard their little exchange, although his eyes were fixated on the books he was regrouping. Ty pursed his lips, wholly aware of his cheeks flushing. It was one thing for his mother to go into raptures about how adorable they were as a couple, but for strange college kids to do the same was embarrassing.

 

 

 

They had four other customers that day, including one genial old lady who was so attached to Jiminy and Cricket that Ty was afraid she would abscond with them tucked away in her purchase bags. Later that evening, Zane turned the placard at the windowsill to ‘closed’ sign as Ty updated the POS system to bill in the day’s accounts.  “Hey doll, you know what I was thinking?” Zane drawled as he sat at the stool across the counter from Ty.

“Don’t I always?” Ty replied with a roguish grin as he closed up the cash registers.

“C’mon, hear me out. Why don’t we head down to Texas this weekend?” Zane asked warily, already dreading a refusal.

Ty stared at him in apprehension. “Do you remember what happened the last time we stayed in Texas? Not the one-day detour we took before the showdown in Miami. I’m talking about the time when I was shot using animal tranquilizers,” Ty recalled, shuddering at the memory.

“Oh c’mon. I’m sure it won’t be that disastrous this time,” Zane insisted, tapping his fingers on the counter. Ty grunted in protest but didn’t retort back.

“Besides,” Zane continued, “It’s been almost a year since I saw Dad. And also, Annie says Sadie’s been asking about you.”

Ty smiled warmly at that, albeit grudgingly. “But what about the Company?”

“We’ll put in a request at the Langley office. The last leave we took was months ago for that Sidewinder retreat. I’m sure they’ll oblige,” Zane assured him.

“Okay, I’ll come on one condition,” Ty challenged, narrowing his eyes. “You have to promise me you’ll never make me get on a horse while we’re there.”

Zane stared at him, at a loss for words. “Ty, it’s a horse ranch. You can’t except to go everywhere unless you’re on horseback.”

“Then I’ll just stick to the guesthouse and the main house or wherever there’s a path for a motorized vehicle,” Ty countered.

“Wow, you’re really adamant about this, huh?” Zane groaned, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “Alright then, no horses,” Zane complied with a flop of his hand.

Ty leaned towards the counter and pulled Zane towards him by the front of his shirt, softly brushing their lips together. “Thank you baby,” Ty murmured into the kiss. “I’ll do some other kind of riding to compensate,” he whispered in a seductive undertone.

“You better,” Zane growled as he pulled away. “And don’t forget, you’ll get to meet Barnum and Bailey too,” he added, knowing that would reel Ty in.

True to form, Ty brightened at the mention of his beloved tigers. He picked up Jiminy who was loitering on the floor. “We are going to meet your brothers,” Ty cooed and the kitten mewled happily and tapped him on the nose with his paw.

Zane leaned back on his chair and sighed. He would never understand Ty’s bizarre fondness for all subfamilies of felines.

 

 

 

 

Ty looked outside the window of the Honda utility truck towards the rolling hills and prickly shrubs of Texas Hill Country. Manuel had picked them up from Austin airport and now he was punching in the code to open the marvelous iron gate outside the Carter-Garrett ranch. Ty slid his hand over Zane’s palm and squeezed lightly, smiling at him affectionately. During last two times they were, there had been imminent danger revolving around their lives. Nevertheless, Ty had enjoyed the effect Texas had on Zane. The way the place brought out his sexy drawl and the serenity and contentment Zane displayed during the time they spent in his hometown. Now that they were unburdened by the sense of impending doom, Ty was determined to enjoy his husband’s hot cowboy avatar to the fullest. That jolted him from his musings.

“I forgot to pack the Stetson!” Ty blurted out as he glanced sideways at Zane.

 “I have a few more at the guesthouse,” Zane beamed at him as he ran his fingers through Ty’s short hair.

 “Of course you do. You’re from Texas,” Ty grunted as he looked out of the window again as the car neared the splendid mansion.

Harrison ambled towards them when he saw the car approach, his shock of white hair and horseshoe mustache visible even at a distance. He wrapped Zane in a fierce hug, patting his cheek gently when he pulled away.

“How have you been, son?” Harrison enquired as he peered at him.

 “Great,” Zane replied, grinning as he turned to look at Ty. Harrison pulled Ty into a hug as well, clapping his back as he greeted him.

 “It’s good to see you Sir,” Ty said with a warm smile as he took the cat carrier bag from Manuel. Jiminy and Cricket had been amenable throughout the flight journey, but now they were shuffling around in the basket, unsettled due to their new surroundings. Ty tried to soothe them, carding his fingers through the ventilation door and murmuring gently to them.

“I have to warn you boys though, Sadie’s been looking forward to greeting you since morning,” Harrison informed them, his mustache twitching in amusement.

“Oh Lord,” Zane laughed breathily as he climbed the stairs. Sure enough, Sadie barged into the front porch and lunged at Zane in a single leap.

 “Uncle Z, you’re here!” she squealed as Zane wrapped his arms around her and twirled her in a circle. Annie padded in behind her daughter, a small smile on her face. As Zane put Sadie down to greet his sister, Annie whacked him hard on the ribs.

 “Ow! What was that for?” Zane hissed at her as he rubbed his chest.

“You get married and don’t invite your own sister?” Annie snapped at him, hitting him again for good measure.

“I told him to make you his best man,” Ty deadpanned, pointing his finger at Zane.

“I told you on the phone, we didn’t have time to invite anyone with all the people trying to kill us. So we had to quicken the ceremony,” Zane explained with a hand on her shoulder.

Annie huffed but before she come up with a repartee, Sadie choose that moment to shriek in delight. “Is that a kittee?” she asked, brown eyes widened in excitement.

“Yeah, they are. Two kitties.” Ty gave her a lopsided grin and knelt down beside her to unclasp the bolt of the carrier.

“Wait, is that a good idea?” Zane interjected from behind them.

“They’ve been in there for five hours now Zane, they need to get out,” Ty said wearily as he lifted the lid to free the kittens. And just as Zane had feared, they bolted in different directions as soon as they were freed. Jiminy scrambled towards the butler’s nook and the gourmet kitchen beyond the corridor, Cricket knocking Beverly headlong into the carpet as she emerged from her office to greet them.

 

After an hour of frantically searching the ground floor of the house, Ty winded up being covered in flour as he coaxed Jiminy to come down from a kitchen cabinet. He lured them back into the carrier, fastened the bolts and shoved it at a corner near an alcove to prevent further accidents. They all sat down to an early dinner as soon as Mark arrived. Ty squirmed in his seat as he glanced nervously across the table at Beverly who held an ice pack to her forehead. Despite his queries she insisted that she was fine and now she was smiling, listening attentively to something Zane was saying. All things considered, she seemed genuinely happy to meet her son. The difference in her attitude from the last time they were here was palpable. Ty was eternally grateful to Mara for interceding.

When Juanita cleared their plates and served them bowls of key lime pie for dessert, Harrison started a conversation about their bookstore. “So business is going good then?” Harrison asked as he scooped a slice of pie into Sadie’s mouth.

“Yeah, we have a book signing event with this up-and-coming author next month. So we’re gearing up with his publishing house to prepare for that,” Ty informed them with a wave of his fork.

“You and Annie should head up there sometime,” Zane told Mark. “We could show Sadie all the sights in Baltimore.”

“We’ll take her to the places with the best crab cakes,” Ty added with a wink at Sadie.

“I guess we ought to do that someday soon,” Annie agreed, beaming at her daughter.

“It’s a good thing you two decided to end all the gun business and live as civilians,” Beverly chimed in, waggling her finger in Ty’s direction.

Ty met Zane’s eyes surreptitiously for a moment before looking away. They had decided earlier not to disclose about their CIA dealings to their families. Most of that work was clandestine, so there was really no point in telling them anyway.

Harrison cleared his throat. “Anyway, there are these tourists from Europe coming to see the ranch tomorrow. Zane, maybe you boys can give them some horseback riding lessons.”

“Oh no,” Ty started, clutching tightly at his fork. “No,no,no. No sir.”

“What is it, son?” Harrison asked, startled at his disquiet.

“I promised Ty he wouldn’t have to ride a horse again,” Zane explained to them, the suppressed laughter evident in his voice. Ty looked at him with a pained expression full of mistrust. Those puppy eyes always made Zane want to wrap him up in a bear hug.

Mark snorted. “You’re married to a ranch owner and never except to ride a horse again?” he smirked. Ty turned to glare at him.

“Maybe Ty can teach them skeet shooting instead,” Annie offered, looking between Ty and Zane.

“Yeah, I’ll do that,” Ty perked up at her suggestion, relieved to partake in any activity barring horses. Zane gazed fondly at him, giving him a quick wink when their eyes met.

“Well, that’s settled then,” Harrison said as he rose from his chair. “Are you kids heading to the guesthouse?”

“Yeah, we left our bags in the truck,” Zane said as he pushed his dessert bowl away.

They said their goodnights in the front porch, Ty promising Sadie a proper playtime with Jiminy and Cricket once they were settled in and calm. Beverly snuck up in front of Zane to give him another tight hug, pressing her cheek onto his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

 

 

 

Once they were alone in the truck on the way to the guesthouse, Ty covered his face with both his hands and groaned.

“What now?” Zane tore his eyes from the road to glance at his husband.

“Ma talks to her and makes some progress and I go ahead and unleash my cats on her to undo all the work,” Ty said in a dejected voice.

Zane barked a laugh. “You didn’t undo anything. I am surprised by how accepting she is of us now. Although all the hugs are a little unnerving. She hasn’t been this touchy-feely since I was a little kid,” Zane admitted.

It was Ty’s turn to laugh. “Get used to it, baby. You’re in for years of repressed love,” Ty snickered. Zane groaned as he parked the truck outside the quaint little guesthouse. He glanced back at the cats huddled together in the carrier, two pair of eyes wide with fear.

“You think they’re going to be okay?” Zane asked as he waved his hand towards the cats worriedly.

“We’ll let them out once we get in and close the doors,” Ty assured him with a soft smile. Ty studied him, trying to make out his features from the dim crepuscular light outside. Zane turned to look at him when he felt eyes on him. “What?” he asked warily.

Ty shook his head, his mouth curving into a smile. “Just that you claim to hate them and yet are so concerned. It’s cute, really.”

Zane wrinkled his nose as he considered how to answer without conceding to the fact that he had grown quite fond of Ty’s fur babies. “I don’t hate _them._ It’s Julian Cross’s cats that were the problem. At least these ones don’t try to claw my eyes out every time I kiss you,” Zane grimaced, recalling rather unpleasant memories.

 Ty cackled as he peered into the darkness, trying to see past the distant canopy of trees on the hilly terrain. “You think the sanctuary will be open now?” he turned to ask Zane, hazel eyes gleaming in the dark.

“Tomorrow,” Zane promised, stroking Ty’s lower lip with his thumb. “Besides,” Zane continued, retrieving a black bull-rider hat from the glove compartment and deftly placing it on his head with a flourish of his hand, “You have some riding to do, remember?”

Ty wolf-whistled and turned back to look at the cats in the carrier. “This kids, is why we come to Texas.”

 

 

As Zane showered, Ty closed the door to the wraparound deck and turned on the electric fireplace. He let the cats out, letting them explore the place as he placed two bowls of kitty chow near the kitchen counter. Zane emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, gray sweatpants hung low on his waist. Ty’s eyes traced the water beads on his damp skin glistening due to the crackling fire nearby. “Your turn, Bulldog,” Zane leered at him, smacking Ty’s ass when he passed by before heading to their bedroom loft. It wasn’t long before Ty joined him in bed, pulling away the covers to slide in next to Zane. He hadn’t bothered to get dressed after the shower, and now he pressed his naked body to Zane’s from chest to feet, his cold toes sliding up and down Zane’s calf. Zane slid an arm under Ty’s neck and pulled him close, pressing his nose and mouth to Ty’s cheek.

“Cold?” Zane asked as his other hand slid down Ty’s body to rest at his hip.

“I’ll be warm soon,” Ty answered in a breathy voice as he turned his face to press his lips against Zane’s, seeking out a kiss.

Zane growled as he pushed himself up on one elbow to oblige, his teeth nipping at Ty’s bottom lip before he lost patience and plunged his tongue into Ty’s mouth, seeking all that was his. He threw a leg over Ty’s hip, shuffling until he laid half of his weight over Ty, his body aching with desire for the man that lay beneath him. Ty let out a muffled gasp when he felt Zane’s arousal through his sweatpants rubbing at his thigh. His fingertips trailed through the hard muscles on Zane’s shoulder and lower back before his hand delved further down to squeeze his ass possessively. Zane grunted as he rose to his knees to shrug off his sweatpants and hurled it across the room. Ty huffed a laugh at his husband’s eagerness but before he could muster a response Zane flung himself on top of Ty again, crushing their mouths together in a devouring kiss. Zane dug his fingers into Ty’s shoulder blade as he slid his tongue over Ty’s lower lip, eliciting a moan from him. He made his way further down Ty’s body, placing open-mouthed kisses on his torso. Ty hissed when Zane sunk his teeth into the flesh at the juncture of his hip and thigh, before soothing the sting by licking the expanse of skin. Ty’s pulse raced when their eyes met; Zane’s eyes were narrowed and his chin was lowered, giving him a predatory look. He scooted further down to kneel between Ty’s splayed legs. Ty knew that look. He rose up on his elbows to enjoy the spectacle. Zane didn’t waste any more time. He took Ty into his mouth, sliding the shaft over his lips as his fingers curled to grip Ty’s inner thigh. Ty groaned when Zane swept his tongue along the length of his straining cock before he engulfed the head into his tightly pursed lips, taking Ty into his mouth over and over. Ty gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as he fought for some restraint so that he wouldn’t grab hold of Zane’s head and thrust into his mouth till he came screaming. Before he could pursue that line of thought, he pulled back until his cock slid off Zane’s eager mouth.

“I want to come while I’m riding you,” Ty said hoarsely as he cupped Zane’s cheek and leaned forward to brush their lips together.

Zane indulged in the kiss for a bit before scrambling back on his knees and darting off the bed, no doubt in search of lube. Ty cursed himself for not keeping the lubricant handy before they began the festivities. He barked a laugh when he saw Zane saunter in with the bottle of lube in one hand and his black Stetson in the other. Zane grinned slyly as he deposited the lube on the mattress and placed the hat on Ty’s head, ruffling his hair in the process. Ty tugged on his shoulder to pull him closer and Zane obliged, stretching himself atop Ty once again. His hands roamed over Ty’s warm body, fingers caressing each ridge and scar, every single one of which Zane could trace with his eyes closed.

 “Ain’t no riding without a hat,” Zane murmured.

 Ty hummed and reached for the lube beside him, squeezing some into his palm before snaking a hand between their bodies to coat Zane’s cock. Zane groaned and rested his forehead on Ty’s shoulder. Ty took his time getting Zane ready –sliding his slicked hand up and down his length, his thumb stroking the swollen head. He brought up his hands to grip both of Zane’s shoulders tightly and rolled them with a grunt so that he was astride Zane. He scooted back until Zane’s cock pressed against him, sending a jolt of anticipation thrumming through his body.

The warmth of the fireplace in the living room didn’t quite reach them, but it cast an amber glow on Ty’s gorgeous body. That combined with the hat gave him a rakish appearance which made Zane’s pulse skyrocket. Without further ado, Ty reached back and gripped Zane’s cock, rocking his hips as he slowly sat down on it. They both cried out as the head of Zane’s cock breached the stubborn muscles. Zane watched the sight, completely enraptured, and he titled his hips up to ease the entry. Ty let out a sensual moan as the motion drove Zane deeper into him. He grasped the ornate headboard for leverage as his other hand skimmed through the sparse hair on Zane’s chest.

“C’mon baby,” Zane rasped. Ty winked at him and lowered the brim of his hat before pushing himself up, swiveling his hips a little. That wink was the harbinger of mischief, Zane knew. Sure enough, Ty was riding him in short, shallow trusts. Breaching himself with the head of Zane’s cock before pulling off completely. Zane growled and curled his hand around the back of Ty’s neck, pulling him closer. The proximity made Ty’s cock brush against Zane’s chiseled abs. Ty whimpered when Zane wrapped his hand around the shaft and squeezed.

“Fuck yourself on my cock properly or I won’t let you come. You hear me?” Zane gritted out.

Ty nodded obediently and gave Zane a chaste kiss before he rose up on his knees. They both knew it was a baseless threat and that Zane would do anything to make Ty come in the end. Nevertheless Ty snapped his hips and slammed himself on Zane’s cock, buried so deep that his ass brushed against Zane’s balls. Zane watched fervently as he spit on his palm and started stroking Ty’s cock, trying to urge him on. Ty moaned softly and threw his head back, lips parted slightly as he started a faster rhythm, shimmying his hips from side to side to massage Zane’s cock.

“So fucking gorgeous,” Zane whispered as he gripped Ty’s waist with one hand, feeling out his movements as his hips undulated. When Ty arched his back, the entry of Zane’s cock changed, causing it to rub erratically against Ty’s prostate. Ty shouted hoarsely and almost lost his balance before he reached back to grab Zane’s knee, his hat tumbling back to land on the floor. He righted his posture and squirmed forward to grab the headboard again, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths as he gazed down at his husband. Ty rode him in earnest, working his thigh muscles before he tensed and let out a feral shout. Zane stroked him more vigorously as he started spilling all over Zane’s hand and chest, his other hand rubbing Ty’s balls for a stronger orgasm. Ty leaned further back, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his jaw slack from ecstasy. The visage gave Zane a good view of Ty still impaled on his hard cock and his control snapped. He shoved deep into Ty, thrusting five or six more times before coming so hard that his come spilled down Ty’s inner thigh as he thrust inside him, making Ty writhe. When Zane pulled out, Ty flopped wordlessly on his back beside him, his harsh pants showing no signs of calming down. Zane scooted closer and licked at the beads of sweat on Ty’s collarbone, causing him to groan again.

“Remember our first time together when you said you don’t bottom well?” Zane asked as he drew lazy circles on Ty’s chest. “Well, look at you now. Taking dick like a champion.”

Ty huffed and smacked his arm lightly. Zane laughed heartily and dragged his fingertips up and down Ty’s torso, skimming across the sweaty skin.

“You know, it wasn’t that I didn’t _like_ bottoming, it just takes a lot of resolve trusting a stranger with your body. It makes you feel very vulnerable,” Ty admitted, threading his hands through Zane’s hair. Zane nodded in understanding, recalling his first time bottoming during that undercover stint in Miami. He had almost thrown off the man he was in bed with. Ty shook his head and snorted, pressing his lips against Zane’s shoulder. “It’s hypocritical, isn’t it? Considering all the men _I’ve_ fucked in the supply closets of different bars,” he mused.

Zane shrugged one shoulder. “Different strokes for different people, I guess,” he replied, barely able to restrain the laughter from his voice. Ty glared at him and wagged a finger. “I’m too tired for your puns right now, Lone Star,” he grumbled before settling back to twirl a lock of Zane’s hair.

“Why did you bottom for me then? During our first time in New York?” Zane posed, titling his head towards Ty to scrutinize his reaction. Ty stared at him for a moment and Zane was surprised to see his cheeks redden. “Because I liked feeling vulnerable with you,” Ty mumbled, nuzzling his nose against Zane’s cheek. “Is that so, doll?” Zane asked, smirking as he leaned closer to steal a kiss. Ty pulled away, swatting at his arm. “Get me a washcloth first before you start acting all smug,” Ty groused. Zane chuckled as he crawled off the bed to clean up.

 

 


	2. Big Cats & Small Minds

They decided to visit the big cat sanctuary early in the morning while they still had time, before being roped in to play tour guides to the group who were scheduled to arrive this afternoon. They left Jiminy and Cricket under the supervision of a very zealous Sadie and a slightly reluctant Annie. Tish greeted them at the lobby, shaking Zane’s hand enthusiastically.

“It’s always a delight when one of the guardians show up to meet the cats,” she said as she led them through the grounds between the large holding pens. “Usually most of the custodians donate as a part of the charities they’re in. And none of them have gotten up close and personal with the animals they’ve adopted,” she quipped with a slight pat at Ty’s arm. She was obviously referring to the fiasco years ago, when Barnum had saved Ty’s life from criminals who tried to ransack the ranch, mauling one of them to death. Zane didn’t think people would still remember that incident, but such an uncustomary turn of events at a typical Fourth of July barbeque must have been memorable for the locals.

“Well, Barnum and Bailey aren’t just some tigers we adopted,” Ty made sure to point out. Before he could effuse more about his foster cats, they heard faint chuffing noises emanating from a faraway enclosure. Ty stopped short and turned his head slightly to listen carefully. “It’s like he can sense my presence,” he said to no one in particular as he hurried his pace, almost frantic with excitement.

“Maybe because you’re fifty feet away from him and he’s a goddamn tiger,” Zane muttered under his breath as he trailed along, hands shoved in his pant pockets.

Sure enough, when they reached the enclosure, Barnum and Bailey were both rubbing their faces at the chain link, waiting for Ty’s arrival.

“Hey buddy,” Ty cooed as he pushed his fingers through the fence to scratch at the bottom of Barnum’s floppy ear, repeating the same with Bailey. Both tigers pushed against the chain link excitedly, chuffing and grunting.

“Maybe you could go inside like last time, Special Agent Grady,” Tish chimed in as she watched the happy reunion.

Ty smirked as he glanced at Zane, one eyebrow raised in a challenge.

“Oh no. I’m happy right here,” Zane replied immediately, jerking his thumb towards the bench nearby.

Ty patted his cheek consolingly before striding up to Tish who was painstakingly opening the double stainless steel door locks that led to the interior.

As soon as they entered the enclosure Barnum and Bailey crowded Ty, rubbing their faces against his neck. A moment later Barnum stood on his hind legs and hugged Ty, placing each of his retractable claws on Ty’s shoulders. Zane let out a sharp breath as he watched, shifting his weight from side to side. Ty being cozy with the tigers didn’t help the fact that his husband was in close proximity with nature’s perfect killing machine. An apex predator with a bite force of 4,450 Newton. Zane groaned as he rubbed at his chin impatiently. He shouldn’t have watched that Discovery Channel documentary. As if he sensed Zane’s discomfort, Ty waved at him and gave him a saucy little wink. Zane snorted in amusement and swiped his hand, gesturing him to get on with it. For about an hour Ty petted the tigers and took turns hugging them while Zane ventured closer to the fence dubiously and took pictures with his phone.

“Hey Tarzan! Think you got enough of that?” Zane called out.

“Does that make you Jane, Zane?” Ty teased. He beckoned an intern forward and the young man moved towards the feeding area carrying a huge barrel of buck meat. The tigers turned their attention towards the food and Ty made his retreat silently.

“Besides,” Ty continued as he made his way around the length of the enclosure towards the exhibit area where Zane sat, “Sabor was a leopard, not a tiger. And it killed Tarzan’s parents. So he wasn’t super friendly with it.”

Zane looked askance at Ty as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

 “What?” Ty asked as he turned his chin towards Zane and brushed their lips together. “I know my Disney. Don’t judge.”

Zane chuckled as he took Ty by hand back towards the front lobby.

 

The skeet shooting area was a semicircular region with two trap throwers for releasing the moving targets from opposite sides of the field. Ty gazed at the distant vistas of grassy prairies and bluebonnets that was ubiquitous to the Texan landscape, waiting for the tourist group scheduled to arrive after their horseback riding lessons. Zane joined him carrying a cart bag full of firearms. They heard a distant clatter of hooves from near the horizon and moments later a group of riders came into view. Zane could make out Joe’s lanky, bow-legged frame even from the distance. Joe had been quite vexed when he discovered his best friend Cody was a part of the nefarious group that planned the onslaught on the ranch. Zane hadn’t really kept in touch with him, expect for the one time he had called them to offer congratulations on the wedding. After racking up his horse to a nearby railing Joe helped the tourists dismount. Ty glanced sideways at Zane with a wicked grin. “So what’s the usual demographic of your tourists like? Any chance of meeting some hot chicks?” Ty goaded on, laughing merrily when Zane flicked the tip of his nose. There were two other men in drawstring jeans and cowboy hats who were helping the guests. Zane figured them to be the new ranch hands Harrison hired.

Joe jogged up to them, beaming as he embraced Zane. “Nice to see you around these parts, Z,” Joe drawled, clapping Ty on his back in greeting as well. He pointed his finger at them threateningly. “It’s a damn shame y’all got hitched without inviting any of us over,” Joe scoffed.

Zane let out a mirthful laugh. “Yeah, we got an earful from Annie for that.”

“And my mother too,” Ty added, shaking his head.

“Damn right you deserved it,” Joe agreed and nodded towards the ranch hands. “These two used to be herders at a dairy farm in Fredericksburg. Not really used to working at the stables, but getting there.”

Zane extended his hand towards them as they drew closer. “Zane Garrett,” he nodded in greeting. The puny looking man with crooked teeth gave him a once over before giving him a perfunctory handshake, his lips curled up in contempt. “Billy,” he said impassively before turning in place and heading over to the shooting station.

“Wow, such a friendly crowd,” Ty observed wryly. Joe frowned as he watched the little encounter. “Hey man, what’s up with the attitude?” he asked, his voice raised in annoyance.

“Hell Joe, we’re just doing our jobs. Setting up the shooting arena and all,” the other ranch hand answered, the scorn clear in his voice. He was heftier than his friend, with neatly trimmed sideburns and an eyebrow piercing.

“Shove it, Malcolm. The guy owns the place, you could show some respect,” Joe snapped back.

“Maybe we should start with the lessons,” Zane intervened loudly. He didn’t like their derisive demeanor either, but a squabble between the workers wouldn’t be very professional in front of the guests. He strolled over to the group of six huddled toward, eyeing their new surroundings in fascination.

After a matronly looking blonde lady stepped forward and introduced herself and her family, Zane led their little kid towards to the nearby sitting area to watch the proceedings from a safe distance. When he returned, Ty was handing out safety goggles and earplugs to everyone. “You wanna give the lessons?” Zane drawled, a smile plastered on his face. He wasn’t sure if Ty had ever done skeet shooting before, but hitting clay targets between a 21 yard distance should be a piece of cake for a Force Recon Marine.

"I thought you'd want to give the lessons, since you're so trigger happy," Ty taunted, drawing the shotguns from the cart.

Zane arched an eyebrow. " _I'm_ trigger happy? What does that make you, Mother Teresa?"

Ty barked a laugh. “Yeah sure, why not. I’ve been missing out on the action lately,” he mused as he adjusted the constriction chokes on all the double-barrel shotguns.

 “Pretty sure you got some intense action last night,” Zane muttered under his breath.

Ty cleared his throat against what sounded suspiciously like a laugh and headed towards the first skeet station. “Alright people, listen up,” he bellowed, his mountain drawl carrying across loud and clear. “This practice is done to simulate bird hunting. Small clay targets will launched into the air simultaneously from those two places,” he explained, pointing at the trap throwers. “Your objective is to hit them when they cross your field of vision and your firing line. Now, how many of you are familiar with the use of a shotgun?” Three out of the five people raised their hands. “Of course, the majority of you have got to be gunslingers, or you wouldn’t come to Texas, of all places,” Ty jested. A chorus of laughter broke out from the group.

Zane rolled his eyes before taking over the lecture. “Now, the tricky part is that you will keep moving between these seven different stations in the arc, so you’ll have to change the angle of your trajectory accordingly. You can fire between 2 and 4 shots at each target, and a complete round involves 25 shots."

“Only our Zane over here has had a perfect 25/25 score,” Joe informed them, eliciting a murmur of praise from the crowd.

“Is that so, Lone Star?” Ty enquired, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

Zane turned to glare at Joe. “Why did you have to tell him that? Now he’ll get all competitive on me.”

Joe laughed as Ty rubbed his hands together in mock vengeance. “Now I definitely have to beat your record.”

Zane led the blonde woman and her sister towards the center of the semi-circle. Ty and the new ranch hands supervised the rest of the group as Joe went to load up the clay pots in the throwers.  “When you first shoot clay it is better to be positioned equidistantly in the field,” Zane explained to the ladies. He maintained a good cheek weld on the stock and after getting a good sight picture with his gun, he pulled the trigger twice in succession, breaking both the targets into perfect halves. There was a smattering of applause, followed by Ty’s loud whistle. Zane bit his lip and tried not to feel smug about such a simple shot.

Ty was tutoring the blonde woman’s husband at the third station. “Now, the trick is to bend your knee slightly and place your weight on your forward foot,” Ty instructed him as the man snuggled the gun against his shoulder to keep it tight in. He nailed the higher target but missed the second shot.

“That was good,” Ty said, patting the man’s arm encouragingly. “You’ll get a sense of the timing as you keep practicing.”

When Ty looked over at the others, he saw the ranch hand Billy swinging his gun in an arc. “Hey, what are you doing?” Ty asked in alarm.

“It’s easier to shoot with the swing loose. I been shooting rifles for a long time,” Billy replied coldly.

“Yeah, I know that, genius. But you only do it when you’ve got the safety on and the rifle unloaded,” Ty told him flatly.

Billy ignored him blithely as he swung his arm around, tracking the flying shots with his gun. Zane and Joe strode up to Ty when they sensed a conflict. “What’s going on?” Zane asked, his brows furrowed in concern.

Ty jerked his head towards Billy in anger. “He’s waving the loaded gun around in an arc.”

“Hey, stop that,” Zane ordered in a harsh voice.

“You ain’t my boss, queer, your Daddy is,” Billy retorted back, the disdain clear in his voice. With that, he squeezed the trigger. He missed the trajectory by almost 50 yards and they heard the sound of the brass ammunition pellet bouncing off one of the chairs near the sitting deck, very close to where the little girl sat. The kid leapt off her chair and bolted towards her mother, shrieking in terror.

 

 

 

They all were gathered around the baroque living room in the main house. Ty perched on the side of the leather armchair Zane sat in. They had managed to placate the infuriated guests and Joe had gone to give them a ride back to their hotel. Ty crossed his arms over his chest as he narrowed his eyes at the ranch hands who stood side by side, listening to Harrison’s tirade. Ty himself was seething with anger and he wanted to hurl one of Beverly’s vintage ceramic vases at their faces. For her part, Beverly was listening to the proceedings silently, her fingers clasped together and a detached frown on her face.

“And y’all are just lucky that it was just bird shot pellets and not real bullets. Imagine what would’ve happened if _those_ hit the little girl,” Harrison growled, beside himself with rage, which was very uncharacteristic of him.

“I think the choke size was loose. It sure ain’t the 5 mm ones,” the ranch hand named Malcolm offered.

“I loaded the constriction chokes myself, they were definitely the correct size,” Ty snarled through gritted teeth.

“Maybe the gun barrel was rusty, that happened—

“Enough,” Harrison bellowed, his deep voice echoing through the room. “You utter one more word and I will not hesitate to fire you. And Joe told me about the way you talked to my son,” he said in clipped tones, his eyes blazing with anger. Hearing that, Zane lowered his head and clenched his hands into fists. Ty cleared his throat and ran a soothing hand over his husband’s arm.

But it was Beverly who spoke. “He is the owner of this ranch and essentially your boss. You will treat him with the respect he deserves, or I will make sure that you will not find employment elsewhere,” Beverly warned them, her blue eyes cold and unflinching. Zane jerked his head in her direction, surprised at his mother’s validation.

“Yes ma’am,” Billy and Malcolm mumbled in unison.

“Go on, then. I’m sure there’s some roping and steer doctoring to do,” Harrison said curtly, the dismissal clear in his voice. The tense air filled with malaise cleared a little after their departure.

“Sorry you had to see that, Zane. Another one of their uncivil comments and I’ll be sure to fire them on the spot,” Beverly muttered in a somber voice.

Zane shook his head and gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “You’d think that the fear of losing their jobs would hold their tongue,” he observed grimly.

“Prejudice precedes common sense, son. Especially in a situation that challenges their preconceived notions,” Harrison murmured gently, his expression softening as he looked over at Zane. 

Zane tilted his head at look up at Ty. He knew Ty was outraged at the incident. Back at the skeet field, Zane had to physically restrain him from lunging at the guy and throttling him to death. Now, Ty was conspicuously quiet, agreeing with everything Harrison and Beverly just said. Zane squeezed his hand and gave him a quick wink when their eyes met. Ty smiled wanly and brushed his thumb against Zane’s wrist.  

 

 

 

Ty and Zane sat on the rickety wooden chairs of the same honky-tonk they’d visited all those years ago. They were waiting for Mark and Annie to join them after they closed up their veterinary practice. The pleasantly boisterous crowd muffled the sounds of Willie Nelson songs rumbling from the old jukebox that sat at the corner. Baskets of peanuts were laid out on the bar, and the house rule was to toss the shells onto the floor. They had each ordered a boozy sweet tea and vodka lemonade to combat the stress of the day. Zane peered at Ty as he sipped his tea. He looked very handsome wearing that brown bull rider hat of his, but his demeanor was a little subdued. Zane slid his arm across the tabletop to cover Ty’s hand.

“You seem a little upset. Are you okay?” he enquired softly.

 Ty looked up at him in surprise and sighed. “Being a gay man, somewhere along the line you learn to shun all the hateful rhetoric, but it never gets easier,” Ty explained dejectedly as he stared at the murky liquid in his glass.

Zane frowned solemnly and twirled the cocktail umbrella of his tea as he pondered on Ty's words. “Some people are bigoted assholes. You should never let their words get to you,” he responded finally.

Ty glanced up at him and shook his head. “I don’t care what people say about me. I just can’t bear it when insults are hurled at _you_ ,” Ty said fretfully with an irritated wave of his hand.

Zane gave him an enigmatic smile. They were both always fiercely protective of each other and that extended beyond concerns about bodily harm. He brushed the back of his hand over Ty’s cheek, smiling warmly. “Hey, I felt the same way about you when those assholes from Cactus Creek Ranch needled you in this very bar,” Zane reminded him gently. Ty nodded and squeezed his hand.

 

 Zane peered at the far end of the room, past the line of bathrooms in the dingy corridor. “You remember our little romp in the utility closet?” Zane drawled, hoping to raise his low spirits. Ty’s hazel eyes sparked with mischief and he slid his socked feet over Zane’s shin under the table.

“You wanna commemorate that day, baby?” Ty said in a gravelly voice.

 Zane winced and bit his lip, sucking in air through his teeth. “I actually forgot to bring lube,” he said, hesitantly meeting Ty’s eyes.

Ty slammed his fist on the table in frustration, spilling his vodka on the linen cloth. “Dammit Garrett, you had one job,” he muttered crossly.

“Unless…” Zane trailed off, cocking his head to leer at Ty.

“Nuh-uh. You’re not fucking me without lube. I’m not limping all the way back to the guesthouse,” Ty cautioned.

Before Zane could respond, he saw Annie and Mark wedging their way past the crowd towards them. Joe, Marissa, Jill and another woman trailed behind them.

“Sadie tucked in for the night?” Zane asked Annie as she sat beside him.

“Oh yeah. She’s out like a light, after playing all day with your crazy cats,” Annie said, smiling wearily at Ty.

“I never get any work done in the bookstore with them around,” Ty concurred, knocking back the last dredges of his drink.

Zane rolled his eyes and before he could say anything, Marissa threw a napkin across the table at him. “Y’all eloped,” she blurted out. A chorus of complaints and outcries echoed across the table, and Ty and Zane groaned in unison.

“I told them off just this afternoon,” Joe informed the others.

“We’re going to be accountable to everyone in our lives from now on,” Zane lamented, looking at Ty across the table.

“We met your folks during their stay here, Ty. They are good people,” Mark affirmed, meeting Ty’s eyes.

“Yeah, your grandpa was epic,” Annie reminisced with a hearty laugh. “He showed Sadie how to spear point with his shovel. And I had to lock up _our_ shovel in the garage so that she wouldn’t practice on anyone. She already got reprimanded in school for trying that pressure point trick on a boy,” she chided disapprovingly.

“Hey, it saved her life in the end, didn’t it,” Ty proclaimed, giving Annie a wide smile.

They ordered their drinks, the ladies opting for various concoctions of cocktails and the men sticking to Texas lager beers.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce y’all” Annie fussed, pointing at the newcomer. “This is Myrna. She’s the new receptionist at our facility. I thought I’d bring her along.”

Ty and Zane nodded their hellos. “So how long have y’all been together?” Myrna asked, sipping at her Irish Coffee cocktail.

“Four years,” Zane said.

“Five years,” Ty corrected him.

“So were you dating his clone the first year?” Mark asked, evoking guffaws from the group.

Zane shook his head adamantly. “Four years, because we don’t count New York.”

“Why don’t we count New York?” Ty asked, clearly offended.

“Because we were both with other people,” Zane answered, his lips twitching in amusement.

“You two are polyamorous?” Marissa queried, leaning forward in her chair with interest.

“No. We were separated,” Ty replied, glancing at Zane with a rueful smile. Zane knew he was thinking about their time apart during the Tri-State case— the pang of guilt at having left each other behind, the absolute trust they shared despite their initial hostility, the simmering attraction that they both knew had the potential to evolve beyond a week-long dalliance. “We were assigned undercover in the Bureau under different cases and had no way of contacting one another even by breaking protocol.” That wasn’t the whole story, but the moment didn’t warrant an explanation.

“Y’all are like the gay version of Mulder and Scully,” Jill remarked, prompting laughs throughout the group.

The night progressed with a luxuriant slowness and soon everybody was tipsy with the abundance of cocktails and beers that an obliging waiter nimbly fetched to their table. The old jukebox churned out a Robert Earl Keen classic song and Jill clapped her hands excitedly. “I always wanted to dance to this song,” she announced and dragged a cheerful Joe towards the hardwood floors. Zane turned to Annie and jerked his head towards them questioningly. Annie shrugged as she sipped at her Martini. “They’ve been going out for a while now,” she replied.

Zane snorted and peered at the dance floor. Several couples flocked there at the start of the new song. Men sporting saucer-sized belt buckles danced with graceful ladies in blue-jean shorts. Zane met Ty’s eyes and arched an eyebrow in invitation. Ty cocked his head to one side as if considering the offer. “As long as it’s not square dancing,” Ty warned, pointing a finger at Zane. Zane laughed, but he didn’t make an effort to get up yet. He would love nothing more than a slow waltz with Ty, but he wasn’t entirely sure that it wouldn’t end with bloodied fists and broken tables in a small town bar. Mark seemed to sense his reluctance. “Go on, Z. We’ve got your back,” he assured.

“For God’s sake, you’re a married couple. Go have your first dance in a honky-tonk,” Annie admonished as she ushered Zane out of the table.

Zane led Ty by hand, past a curved mahogany bar and a shuffleboard table, towards the spacious dance floor. He stepped in front of Ty and placed one hand on his hip, shuffling his feet gracefully in rhythm to the song. Ty wrapped one arm around Zane’s shoulder, his hot breaths ghosting against Zane’s cheek. “I was wrong about Mark’s intentions before. He’s a decent guy. A bit cocky, but still decent,” Ty muttered. Zane hummed and attempted a simple box step, deftly moving Ty around. “You’ve been wrong about people before. Like Tim Henninger,” Zane replied. Ty stopped short, almost tripping over Zane’s boots. “Kudos for ruining the romance by bringing up a serial killer, Garrett,” Ty said, glaring at him from under his wide brimmed hat. Zane huffed a laugh and pulled Ty closer, running his palm against Ty’s white western-style shirt. The song changed to a more slow-paced Elvis number, and soon Ty was singing along in a seductive voice.

_Would it be a sin_

_If I can't help falling in love with you?_

Zane gazed fondly at him, taking in his features highlighted by the garish neon lights. He took a step back and elegantly twirled Ty around, before tugging him closer again. The scent of Ty’s Old Spice reached him, and warmth pooled in him as he reveled in his love for this man.

_Like a river flows_

_Surely to the sea_

_Darling, so it goes_

Zane grinned as Ty punctuated the ‘darling’ in a whisper. Ty allowed himself to be led, savoring the movements and basking in the love in Zane’s dark eyes. He moved his left foot forward, chasing after Zane’s retreating step, holding him as their arms pulled taut. Zane spun him again, before reeling him back in, as though unwilling to stay apart any longer. Ty’s pulse raced when their lips threatened to brush together, and he held his breath, waiting to see if Zane would give in to the sentiment. Zane kissed him slowly before pulling back to nuzzle his hair. “I love you, baby,” Zane murmured against his ear.

_Take my hand,_

_Take my whole life, too_

_For I can't help falling in love with you_

Ty sung those words as a testament of his love. Their gazes remained locked as they gently swayed to the music, becoming one with the song and with each other.

 

 


	3. Promises, Frolics & Pool Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight spoilers for Touch & Geaux and Ball & Chain.

Zane woke up with a start and blinked a few times against the feeble rays of sunlight coming through the floral curtains of their bedroom loft. He moved his cheek against the pillow to peer at his bedmate. Ty laid plaint and relaxed with his head under the pillow, tousled cotton sheets covering his lower body. Zane smirked as he took in the sight of angry bite marks below Ty’s shoulder and he brought up his hand to skim his fingers across the red welts. After their evening at the bar, Zane had dragged him to bed and devoured him with a feverish passion, clawing at his body as he made love to him.

Ty jolted at the touch and pushed the pillow away, groaning as he turned on his side to squint blearily at his husband.

“Morning, doll,” Zane murmured as he brushed his thumb across Ty’s lower lip.

“Hey you,” Ty said with a lazy grin and flopped to his back, muscles shifting as he stretched his arms above his head.

“I thought I might visit Becky’s grave today. Do you want to come along?” Zane asked without preamble. Ty jerked his head to look at Zane, seemingly perturbed by the odd question.

 Zane had come up with the notion a few moments after being roused from a bizarre dream in the wee hours of the morning. It was a hazy vision of shifting patterns, with blurred edges of Becky’s face and fleeting glimpses of their life together. Zane figured spending a prolonged amount of time at his hometown might have evoked the old memories. Zane had always made a point of visiting Becky’s grave whenever he came to Austin, so why not escort Ty along this time?

Ty’s quizzical expression morphed into something softer, and he gave Zane a faint smile before answering. “Of course, baby. I’d like that.”

Zane swallowed hard against the tight knot in his throat and he scooted closer to press his nose and lips to Ty’s cheek, thanking the Gods for an umpteenth time for bringing this man into his life. 

 

 

Ty edged past rows and rows of tombstones, walking behind Zane in silence. Some of them were crumbled with the weathering of time, others a smooth white marble with new writing and floral tributes that moldered into an emulsion of colors. They moved past a huge ceramic bust of an angel with flowing robes, her hands clasped together in prayer and one of her wings appearing to be uneven and chipped. The air was dry and arid with an unrelenting sun that scorched overhead. During their first assignment in New York, a visit to another cemetery in the bleak and wintry October had dredged up painful memories of his wife’s funeral in Zane. At the time, Ty had cast aside Zane’s trepidation with an offhand remark, but now he was very grateful for the sharp contrast in the weather, which he hoped would ease up Zane’s mind a little. He knew Zane was unsettled about the visit, he had been somber during their ride here. He himself was assaulted with an inexplicable bout of nerves. He reached forward to lace his fingers with Zane’s in a gesture to soothe them both. Zane looked over his shoulder and gave him a woebegone smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He stopped just beyond the last row, his shoes rustling the newly browned leaves.

“This is her,” Zane said in a hoarse voice as he stared at a headstone. He let go of Ty’s hand to move closer. The white marble made it easy for Ty to make out the engraved words.

IN LOVING MEMORY

REBECCA GARRETT

AUGUST 7, 1970— NOVEMBER 21, 2003

Beloved Daughter & Wife

Ty swallowed hard and blinked against the sudden tears that filled his eyes. Early on in their relationship, Ty had been quite insecure about Becky’s looming presence in Zane’s life. Back when Zane was still devastated by her death five years later, when he still wore his wedding ring to cling to some semblance of normality in his life. Even after they had proclaimed their love for each other and were exclusive, Ty had agonized over doubts of whether he would ever equate to Zane’s life as much as Becky did. Only later in their relationship, after their ordeal in New Orleans, and after Zane’s reassurances, that Ty had achieved some peace of mind. His mental anguish gave way for gratitude. He was eternally indebted to Becky for being a strong influence in Zane’s life when he needed someone, for helping him become the man he was today, a man that meant the whole world to Ty.

He watched as Zane crouched down to place a wreath of tulips at the tomb, running his fingers over the engraving of her name. Tulips were her favorite flowers, Zane had told him. Apparently, it had been a running joke between them because tulips were quite hard to get in the arid Texas climate. When Zane stood and turned around, Ty saw tear streaks running down his cheeks, his lips pressed together tightly and eyes downcast. Ty felt a tinge of pain in his chest at Zane’s remorse. He glanced back at the headstone. _I’ll take care of him_ , Ty promised her, an odd sense of calm sweeping through him. Without a word, Zane moved forward and took his hand, gripping it tightly. He took long and deep breaths, as if to steady himself. Ty returned the pressure on his hand and they weaved their way back. They walked with their hands entwined across the manicured grass, past the mazes of graves and the angel with the chipped wing, past the half-round hinged gate at the entrance and out into the crisp spring air.

 

 

 

 

Sadie hopped and bounced on the rocky trail full of tumbleweeds and huge green ferns, singing an elementary school rhyme under her breath. She skidded past a large boulder, missing her step and landing on a muddy puddle instead, soiling her Ugg boots in the process. She glanced back to see if her mother had witnessed the blunder. But the adults were leisurely strolling behind her, carrying their coolers and koozies and chatting idly among themselves.

They were walking towards Hamilton Pool, a famous swimming hole on the outskirts of Austin. They had parked their cars at the head of the Travis County reserve and had decided to hike the quarter mile to the pool. As Zane brought up the back of his hand to wipe at the beads of sweat at his hairline, he realized that it had been a huge mistake. Of course, it was Ty’s idea to have a ‘fun hike’ in the sweltering heat instead of parking their cars on the outcropping like they should have done. Now he was walking amicably beside Zane, chatting with Mark about some Marine they both knew. Zane wanted to sprint the remaining distance and lunge into the water to cool off. But he was sure that if he pulled an Usain Bolt now, Sadie would do the same and he would never hear the end of it from Annie. Living in Baltimore for so long had weakened his resilience to the Texan heat. Thankfully, a sudden bend came up where the trees formed a circular canopy— almost like an oasis, and the pool came into view.

Zane took Sadie’s hand as they navigated carefully over large slabs of slippery rocks, making their way towards the sunken grotto. Annie came along to fuss with the inflatable swim ring for Sadie. Zane moved towards the edge of the rocks and sunk one foot into the jade green water, making ripples on the glassy façade. He used to come here a lot when he was younger, a place to escape to when the heat soared to a smoldering degree. He glanced sideways to see Ty standing right beside him. He was eyeing the new surroundings, taking in the limestone outcropping and the lush foliage.

“This reminds me of that hot spring in Scotland,” Ty said as he pulled his shirt over his head. “When you tried to sex me up,” he added in a lower voice.

Zane hummed as he stripped down to his swim trunks as well. “Well, if it wasn’t for the dead bridesmaid floating around.”

Ty barked a laugh and waded slowly into the water, trying to find his footing over the slippery rocks underwater. Zane followed right behind him. The water was cool and refreshing against their overheated skin. It was a surreal feeling, Ty thought. Like swimming at the bottom of a huge open cave surrounded by great cliffs.

They watched as Sadie paddled into the water, clutching her father’s hand and holding a water gun across her chest. She squealed when the cold water lapped at her skin. When they were submerged in water up to their torsos, Mark grabbed hold of Sadie’s nerf gun and aimed it at Annie, pulling the trigger and soaking her with a blast of water. Annie shrieked and flailed before gaining her balance. She looked around in the pool, as if searching for something to retaliate with. Finally she cupped a handful of water in her palm and sprayed it at Mark. Sadie giggled as she watched her parents antics. Ty and Zane trudged closer to join in the fun, and soon all five of them dissolved into puddles of laughter and splashy strokes.

After a while Annie took Sadie back to the small stretch of land near the grand overhanging trees while the men ventured deeper into the pool. Ty lay on his back, floating on the tranquil water and looking up at the azure and cloudless sky. Zane was drawn to him, in contrast to the waves that rippled around Ty’s body. When Zane reached him, he leaned forward and stole a kiss. Ty smiled into the kiss, their lips wet and sliding. They pulled apart when they heard a snort.

Mark was shaking his head, a few feet away from them. “How did your old colleagues not see that you two are an item?” he asked in an amused voice.

“Well, we never kissed half-naked in front of them,” Ty answered wryly.

“Until we kissed fully-clothed in front of them,” Zane added as he swam around Ty in lazy strokes, remembering the day Ty got his deployment letter, when he planted one on Zane in front of the entire office.

“Yeah, Annie told me about your dramatic coming-out story,” Mark said with a hearty laugh. “But still though, they’re supposed to be trained federal agents.”

“I guess we were better federal agents,” Ty replied with an enigmatic smile.

Zane shook his head, smiling slightly as he dove deeper into the pool. He looked over at the cascading waterfall at the other end of the pool. The water over there was turbulent, but both of them were strong swimmers. Zane gestured at Mark that they were heading towards the waterfall, then he plunged through the water again, Ty following at his wake.

The white water cascaded down through a series of rocky outcrops, giving the effect of many waterfalls rather than just one. When they drew closer, they were completely drenched, as if they were in a rainstorm. Zane watched as Ty swam in powerful strokes. He was absolutely gorgeous —his streamlined body moving with a practiced ease, sinewy muscles moving in tandem.

When Zane came closer to him, he had to shout to be heard over the deafening roar of water. “If my sister and niece weren’t here, I would be fucking you right now.”

Ty gave him his signature grin and ran his hand through a tuft of Zane’s hair that clung to his forehead. “If your sister and niece weren’t here, I would’ve jumped you as soon as we came,” Ty yelled back.

Zane laughed and pulled him closer to kiss him again. “Next time I’ll bribe one of the park staffers to book the pool just for us,” he promised between kisses. “Now let’s head back before we catch pneumonia.”

But they stayed there just a little longer, savoring an intimate moment beneath the torrential downpour.

 

 

 

 

Ty followed Zane through the high-ceilinged corridor on the second floor of the mansion. The carved mahogany along the cornices and pilasters of the walls made for an arresting effect. This part of the house was more grandiose than the rest. After Ty’s continued insistence, Zane had caved in and agreed to show him his old paintings that he had stowed in a far corner of the house. Zane stopped at the end of the hallway and pushed through the double oak doors of a room. Ty appeared dazed as he stepped through the doorway behind him; the room looked like it belonged in a Renaissance castle. The vaulted section of the ceiling was covered in molded plaster, made to simulate the carved wood. A porcelain clock-and-candelabra sat on the mantel above the massive fireplace. An Italian dower chest sat on the opposite corner, a vintage tapestry draped over it. All the furnishings were shiny and spotless, giving an impression of being dusted and cared for.

Zane chuckled when he saw Ty’s wide-eyed expression. “This room gets featured a lot in the shots for those home décor magazines. But it’s basically just a store-room for some of my old stuff.”

Ty shook his head as he ran a hand through the wall paneling. “If I knew you were this loaded when I met you, I’d have been a lot nicer to you.” 

Zane snorted and shook his head in disagreement. "No you wouldn't have."

Ty wrinkled his nose. "No I wouldn't have," he agreed.

Zane crouched down next to a refractory table and peeled off a cloth covering a shapeless lump, revealing stacks of linen canvases. He beckoned Ty forward and handed him a few canvases, searching in the pile for more. Ty staggered under the weight of the heavy pile and moved to sit on one of the plush, high-backed chairs so that he could examine the paintings properly. Most of them were charcoal sketches. The one on the top was that of a horse mid-gallop. Ty skimmed a finger atop the thin charcoal lines that formed the skeletal structure of the animal. Each stroke culminated in smudges that rendered a watery quality to the drawing. The hooves and the ground below its feet were drawn in thicker, darker lines. The overall image was quite breathtaking. “You know, I almost don’t hate horses that much now,” Ty mused. Zane laughed and got off the floor to sit on a chair next to Ty.

There were other drawings of inanimate objects like fruit bowls and vases. Ty paused when he stumbled on a landscape painting, reminiscent to the one that hung on in the foyer downstairs, except this was an urban setting. This seemed like a panoramic view from outside a window. There were rows of trees painted in different hues of greens on either side of the pavement and a pale yellow residential complex with tiny windows painted as dark blotches. The attention to detail was so very like Zane.

 “That was the view outside my college dorm,” Zane said, leaning closer to look at the painting. “I had a lot of free time, so I painted a lot back then.”

“Well, you were studying Spanish, so you’re bound to have a lot of free time,” Ty said drolly.

“You have a degree in Psychology, so you hush.”

Ty guffawed loudly and continued his inspection of the paintings. Some of them were Impressionist-style ones of the creeks and grasslands in Hill Country. Ty mentally made a note of which ones to take back to hang in their row house. He ran his palm over the hard edges of the last painting and brought it closer to his chest. “So why did you stop painting?” he asked quietly, meeting Zane’s eyes.

Zane gave him an elegant shrug and leaned back on his chair. “Just grew out of it, I guess. Didn’t really find time when life got busier. But I still take requests. I drew a portrait of Sadie as a gift for her second birthday.”

“You’re painting our kitties soon,” Ty declared, pointing a finger at him.

“I actually have a gift for you when we get back,” Zane said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “And before you ask, no it wasn’t expensive. It barely cost me fifty bucks,” he made sure to add immediately.

Ty closed his mouth against the evident question and nodded. Zane gave him a warm smile and patted his cheek. “Come on, I want to show you the next room, you’ll like that one even more.”

“Why, is it an armory full of military-grade weapons?”

“No such luck, Captain.”

 

Zane pushed past a similar set of oak doors and Ty chuckled when he saw a standard-sized billiard table in the center of the room. A set of ornate lamps with silk shades hung directly above the table. When Ty drew closer, he saw the pool balls racked up in the 8-ball structure. He idly wondered when the last time anyone played here was. He reached for the cue stick and leaned forward to take a test shot. He widened his stance, holding the base of the stick with his right hand and curling the index finger of his left hand on top of the stick. His breath caught when he felt Zane’s body pressed against his. He hadn’t even heard his movements. And Ty was accused of being the silent and deadly one.

Zane wrapped one hand around Ty’s right forearm and laid his chin on Ty’s shoulder. “Take the shot, baby,” Zane murmured, his breaths hot against Ty’s cheek. Ty swallowed against a lump in his throat and nodded. He lined up the pool tip with a cue ball and hit it, Zane’s hand on his arm providing an extra force. The balls scattered across the table and three of them sunk into the corner pockets. Ty’s heartbeat thrumming against his chest was almost as loud as the clack of the pool balls. Zane hummed in approval but he didn’t move an inch from where he stood draped over Ty’s body.

The desire that was simmering in Ty soared to an unbearable degree and he wanted to plead with Zane to fuck him right there. His eyes darted towards the double oak doors which they left half-open and he thought it would make for a comical scenario if someone were to walk in on them right now. As if he had heard his thoughts, Zane pulled away from him and gave his ass a hard smack.

“Don’t move,” Zane growled before walking the length of the table towards the doors. A thrill ran through Ty’s body and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He belatedly wondered if he should undress but the tenor of Zane’s voice rooted him to the spot—bent over the pool table. Zane secured the latch and turned around, desire blazing in his eyes when he saw Ty laid out for his viewing pleasure. He rummaged in his jean pocket for something and a moment later held up a travel packet of lube, grinning wickedly. Ty huffed a laugh and placed his chin down on the green baize-covered table. His eyes widened when he saw Zane strip down completely across the room. The next minute Zane strode up to him and pressed his hard cock against Ty’s snug jeans. Ty groaned impatiently and wiggled his ass a little, trying to goad Zane into action.

“We need to be quick, baby,” Ty tried. “Before your mother or one of the maids come knocking.”

“They’ll think we’re occupied in a vigorous game of pool,” Zane let out in a harsh breath.

Ty laughed breathily and pressed his cheek against the table. “If you make a ball joke, I’ll leave.”

“No you won’t,” Zane hissed. He grabbed hold of Ty’s hand and twisted that arm behind his back, as if trying to handcuff him. He continued grinding his cock against Ty’s ass, eliciting a loud moan from him. “You have to be quiet,” Zane urged, before giving his ass another hard smack. Ty bit his lip against another moan and nodded. He turned his head just enough to meet Zane’s eyes. “Please Zane, I need you inside me,” he begged hoarsely.

That seemed to spur Zane on, because he snaked an arm between Ty and the table to unbutton his jeans and quickly push his boxer-briefs down to his ankles. He tugged at Ty’s shoulder to turn him around and crowded him when they faced each other. Their lips met in a hot and messy kiss and Zane plunged his tongue into his mouth, seeming ravished by desire. Ty pulled back just enough to discard his shirt and toe out of his shoes before wrapping his arms around Zane and succumbing to his touches.

Zane gripped Ty’s waist firmly before hauling him on top of the table with a grunt of effort. Zane grasped hold of Ty’s thighs and pushed them apart until his heels dug against his ass. Ty was effectively squatting at the edge of the billiard table wearing only his socks with Zane between his splayed legs. Ty thought this might be among one of the hottest positions they had fucked in. Before he could form another coherent thought, Zane slid one slick finger into him. Ty choked on a gasp and buried his face on the crook of Zane’s neck. Zane jerked his head sideways to seek out a kiss, and he nipped at Ty’s lower lip as he slid another finger in, scissoring them past tight muscles. Ty’s whimpers were muffled against Zane’s mouth and he curled his hand around the edge of the table, his body aching with need. He nibbled at Zane’s earlobe lightly, trying to entice him on.

Zane cursed under his breath and withdrew his fingers, making quick work of coating his cock with lube and lining it up against Ty’s ass. Zane looked down at his hips and sucked in a deep breath, taking in the sight of his cock nudging Ty’s tight ass, the sight that never failed to push all his buttons. He looked up to meet Ty’s eyes. “You ready for me?” he asked in a gruff tone, digging his fingers into Ty’s waist, trying to hold on to some form of restraint.

 Ty let out another needy whimper, having lost his ability to articulate when Zane had heaved him onto the table. Zane worked his way into him inch by inch, moving with infinite care. Ty shuddered against the sudden surge of pain and bit into Zane’s shoulder to muffle a sob. Zane murmured nonsense against his cheek and ran his hand over Ty’s arm in a soothing caress. They were used to this sort of hushed sex during their visits to West Virginia, since Ty’s bedroom walls were thin and permeable to noise. It never failed to evoke a sense of mischievous wrongdoing in him.

Pleasure coursed through him after a particularly hard thrust and he raked his fingernails across Zane’s back. The coarse, woolen fabric of the table caused some friction, and he couldn’t buck or roll his hips like he would’ve done normally. Instead, he moved closer to the edge and spread his legs wider so that Zane could pound directly into his ass. Zane growled in approval of the new stance and delved into his mouth with renewed passion, kissing Ty’s full lips as he worked up a steady rhythm. After a while his hips slowed to a stop and he stood still for a moment, inhaling sharply. Then he pressed his forehead against Ty’s and rammed into him mercilessly, having lost the self-mastery he strived for earlier. Ty laughed wordlessly against his lips. This was what he wanted. For Zane to lose whatever ounce of control he possessed and to slam into Ty ruthlessly.

They were engulfed in a passionate embrace, their lips bumping and sliding as they fucked. A few minutes later, Zane tensed and buried his face into Ty’s neck, stifling a shout. His hips stuttered as he came inside Ty, filling him up with pulses of his come. Before Ty could muster a response, Zane pulled out his cock all too quickly, leaving a trail of come on the table. He sank to his knees and took Ty’s cock into his mouth. Ty’s let out a plaintive groan and lolled his head back. That’s when he noticed the ornate chandelier overhead. The beaded crystals of the chandelier reflected their little activity clearly. His pulse flared when he saw Zane’s head bobbing up and down on his cock in the mirror-like structure, his cockhead disappearing into Zane’s mouth over and over. Before he knew it, he was coming hard down Zane’s throat and he bit hard into his closed fist to smother the sounds. He heaved a sigh and flopped back on the pool table unceremoniously. Zane rose up from the floor and slumped down next to him. They laid there side by side on the billiard table in silence, trying to catch their breaths. A few moments later, Ty pointed at the chandelier. “Can we get one of those?”

Zane turned his head at him, offering him a sly grin. “Did you get off on watching yourself?”

“I got off on watching you, actually.”

“Sure,” Zane conceded. He brought his forearm up behind his neck to serve as a headrest. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but there’s no washcloth in this room. Also the bathroom is across the hall,” he muttered finally.

Ty rose up on his elbow to stare at him incredulously.


End file.
